History

A recognized leader in architecture and design, Richard T. Reep leads a Winter Park-based team focused on design excellence.

Richard Reep founded his practice in Ybor City, Florida in 1990 to express the local climate, materials, and culture through award winning architecture and design. He continued this focus when Marriott International asked him to become Director of Architecture and he built a reputation for rigor, focusing on the locale of each project while maintaining American international design standards.

His work was recognized internally at Marriott with multiple awards through Marriott’s leadership training program. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) awarded five of Mr. Reep’s design projects with ARDA Gold design awards for various aspects of each resort, and three additional silver awards. As a leader in the vacation resort industry, Mr. Reep’s talent is testimony to the adage “Good design sells.”

Mr. Reep returned to private practice in 2000, joining WATG in Honolulu and focusing on WATG’s Asia portfolio. He returned to Orlando to open WATG’s local office and built the practice from 1 architect to 12, with a total firm count over 30, by 2007. Mr. Reep’s talent and skills helped earn WATG’s reputation as the #1 destination design firm in the world.

Today, Mr. Reep’s design career remains focused on excellence, and he has built the “A” team around hospitality and mixed-use design. The local story is expressed with every project and he is set apart from similar firms with his personal dedication to the client’s success.

When the Mohegan Tribal Council wanted to add a hotel to the Mohegan Sun, Richard Reep was the architect of choice. He led the team to expand the Mohegan Sun with hotel, casino, restuarant, retail, and back-of-house facilities.

When the Pequot Tribal Nation purchased 600 acres in St. Croix, they asked Richard Reep to design a mixed-use marina community. He led the team to design a marina-based village with hotel, restaurant, retail, gaming, and villas centered around a 17th century Caribbean sugar mill and living quarters.

When Andre Backar chose to develop a beachfront site in Tunisia, Richard Reep was his architect. He led the team to design a 100-key luxury beachfront resort and spa.

When Donald Trump pursued the development of a golf resort in Scotland, Richard Reep led the team to design it.

When Disney wanted to improve the guest experience at one of its four-star hotels at Walt Disney World, they asked Richard Reep for design assistance. He personally designed and provided art direction for the amenity architecture.

When Hyatt wanted to upgrade their pool area amenity at the Hyatt Grand Cypress, Richard Reep personally designed the new towel concession, pool bar, and surrounding amenity area.

The list continues today with artists, artisans, thinkers, writers, religious leaders, visionaries of the local organic movement, and the emerging leaders of the new economy. Join them in defining the built form of the future with Richard Reep.